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Church Administration: A Selected Bibliography

By Rebecca Kim Birnie, Church Administrator, River Road Unitarian Church

This bibliography represents a basic collection of books, journals and resources. It is a list selected from materials that I have found interesting and useful. I hope that it will serve to answer some of your immediate questions and to start you off on a journey of exploration of the wealth of literature available on church administration in all of its various aspects.

If you have favorite resources that are not included here, I hope that you will share that information with me. And if you would like to duplicate this bibliography for distribution, I invite you to contact me.

Administration

Leadership Handbook of Management and Administration: Practical Insight from a Cross Section of Ministry Leaders. Berkley, James D., ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Co., 1994.
Primarily meant for ministers, this volume contains articles by a variety of experts and includes chapters on a multitude of management issues and is full of practical advice

Accountable Leadership, A Resource Guide for Sustaining Legal, Financial, and Ethical Integrity in Today's Congregations revised and expanded. Chaffee, Paul. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1997.
Lyle Shaller describes this book as "…a plea for congregational leaders to be competent, informed, accountable, and in touch with contemporary reality." The leaders of any congregation are responsible for the operations and health of the institution as well as the personal safety of members, guests and property. This book exploresthe ethical, legal, and financial responsibilities of lay and clergy leaders in religious congregations. Each chapter is followed by an extensive bibliography. This is a must read book and an invaluable resource.

Churchworks: A Well-Body Book for Congregations. Heller, Anne Odin. Boston, MA: Skinner House Books, 1999.
Anne Odin Heller is District Executive of the UUA Pacific Northwest District. She has served as minister to both small and large congregations, and using the metaphor of the human body, she has created an accessible and ingenious handbook that provdes essential advice for growing and sustaining a healthy church. She included helpful models for developing congregational bylaws, staff manuals, financial policies and procedures and many other mainstays for church administration.

Church Secretary's Communiqué; The Newsletter for Church Office Professionals. Cobble, James F., Jr., ed. Matthews, North Carolina: Christian Ministry Resources. Published monthly.
This monthly publication consists of four pages of practical suggestions and articles on subjects such as stress, computers, goal setting, productivity, filing, volunteers, ethics, security, authority, and the secretary's relationship with the minister and members of the congregation.

The Church Office Handbook; A Basic Guide to Keeping Order. Shearn, Carol R. Wilton, Connecticut: Morehouse Barlow Co., 1986.
Carol Shearn, an experienced church administrator, has written a practical book with step-by-step instructions and reproducible forms for managing the mountains of information flowing through the church office including membership records, filing systems, financial records and taxes, inventory, bulk mailing, and more.

Church Administration Handbook; Resources for Church Leaders. Powers, Bruce P. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1985.
This comprehensive treatment of church administration includes a variety of forms, and a chapter on personnel with useful job descriptions. Published in 1985 but the basics are still basic!

The Congregational Handbook: How to Develop and Sustain Your Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Unitarian Universalist Association. Third Edition. Edited by Lawrence X. Peers. Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association, 1995.
This broad guide to the resources of the UUA also offers general guidelines on a wealth of subjects such as how to conduct a goal-setting meeting, a long-range planning process, and an annual canvass, as well as describing the various aspects of church life from recruiting volunteers to assimilating new members. A must-have tool for board members and committee chairs.

How to Manage Your Church; a Manual for Pastors and Lay Leaders. Walz, Edgar. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1987.
Clearly presented, this book focuses on the principles of church management, job descriptions, staff relationships, and special problems.

Buildings

When Not to Build: An Architect's Unconventional Wisdom for the Growing Church. Bowman, Ray and Eddy Hall. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House Company, 1992.
An architect creatively challenges some assumptions about the use of space with lists of questions that will help you make your own assessment.

First Impressions: How to Present an Inviting Church Facility. Lee, Robert A. Effective Church Series Edited by Herb Miller. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993.
A book that will help you take a fresh look at the exterior, parking, signs, nursery, sanctuary and accessibility by the disabled with tips for inexpensive improvements.

Planning and Building Church Facilities. McCormick, Gwenn E. Nashville, Tennesee: Broadman Press, 1992.
Headed for a building program? This book will guide you through the entire process and help you avoid some of the pitfalls along the way. It includes planning, studies, property, finances, architects, functions of subcommittees, issues around using volunteers and more.

That All May Worship: An Interfaith Welcome to People with Disabilities. Thornburgh, Ginny, ed. Washington, DC: National Organization on Disability, 1992.
A book meant to open your eyes and heart to ways of making our facilities and services accessible to people with disabilities of all kinds.

Church Dynamics and Governance

Interdependence, Renewing Congregational Polity. The Commission on Appraisal. Boston, MA: Unitarian Universalist Association, 1997.
This book examines our understanding of congregational polity and current practices and eevelopments that may be at odds with that understanding, and then names the changes that are needed to bring this vision to life. A background must for those in staff and leadership positions in Unitarian Universalist congregations.

The Life Cycle of a Congregation. Saarinen, Martin F. Washington, DC: Alban Institute, 1986.
"This paper will be helpful to new and mature congregations alike, giving them ways of assessing what is going on now as well as suggesting avenues they might explore to address their situation at each stage of their development." Speed B. Leas.

The Middle Sized Church; Problems and Prescriptions. Schaller, Lyle E. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1985.
Lyle Schaller is editor and author of more than a score of books on church organization, growth, and planning. In this book he demonstrates how "congregational culture" determines church personality. He explores the many problems that plague middle-sized churches; and with examples, he offers help for dealing with such issues as fellowship, staffing, decision-making, and finances.

The Multiple Staff and the Larger Church. Schaller, Lyle E. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1980.
Larger churches are different in their expectations, performance, staffing, and use of volunteers. By understanding these special characteristics, leaders and staff of larger churches can see their roles more clearly.

The Small Church IS Different. Schaller, Lyle E. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1982.
The small church emphasis on people and kinship ties, its tendency to be intergenerational, and unique methods of financing itself make it different from the larger church. Schaller looks at four major areas: self-esteem, youth ministries, finances, and church growth. He concludes with an analysis of the various trends in the small church and its hopes for the future.

How Your Church Family Works; Understanding Congregations as Emotional Systems. Steinke, Peter L. Washington, DC: Alban Institute, 1993.
Steinke's insights drawn on the works of Murry Bowen and Edwin Friedman's theory of family systems lead clergy and laity to deeper understanding and discernment rather than easy answers and quick fixes. This book is a mixture of theory and story and address the resistance to change and growth, how the church family can change the way it functions, what it can do when it is threatened by its own emotional processes, what interactional patterns are most beneficial to its life and purpose, and who can most affect change and calm in its midst. This is an easier book for the lay reader to absorb than Edwin Friedman's Generation to Generation; Family Process In Church and Synagogue (New York: Guilford Press, 1985).

The Church Library

You Can Have a Church Library; Start, Enhance, and Expand Your Religious Learning Center—A Step-by-Step Guide for Church Leaders. Dotts, Maryann J. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1988.
For people with little or no library training, this is a basic guide to the mechanics of setting up a church library: financing, selecting, ordering, and processing materials.

The Church Librarian's Handbook. McMichael, Betty. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1987.
This handbook is a clear and comprehensive manual on planning, organizing, and operating a church library. It includes both book and non-book materials, computerization, equipment, staff requirements, and the formation of library policy as well as instructions for processing materials. It can be used by both the novice and the experienced librarian.

Copyright Law

Copyright: The Complete Guide for Music Educators. Althouse, Jay. East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania: Music In Action, 1984.
Althouse succinctly presents the history and meaning of copyright, explains "fair use," and describes copyright laws relative to music: classroom and instructional use, recordings, performances, and arrangements. He also includes sample letters showing how to obtain permission to use copyrighted works.

The Church Guide to Copyright Law. Hammar, Richard R. (Church Law and Tax Report, The Church Guide Series) Matthews, North Carolina: Christian Ministry Resources, current edition.
The penalties for noncompliance are so severe that no church organization can afford to be ignorant of its obligations under copyright law. This is a comprehensive guide with illustrations to explain the laws, their application, and exemptions.

Antagonists in the Church; How to Identify and Deal with Destructive Conflict. Haugk, Kenneth C. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.
"Antagonists are individuals who, on the basis of nonsubstantive evidence, go out of their way to make insatiable demands, usually attacking the person or performance of others. These attacks are selfish in nature, tearing down rather than building up, and are frequently directed against those in a leadership capacity." In this balanced and practical book, Kenneth Haugk shows how congregational leaders can learn to: prevent or reduce much of the pain and suffering caused by antagonism; tell the difference between constructive, healthy conflict and destructive antagonism; and cope with antagonism when it arises.

Evangelism

Salted with Fire: Unitarian Universalist Strategies for Sharing Faith and Growing Congregations. Alexander, Scott W., ed. Boston: Skinner House Books, 1995.
Twenty-two essays written by a group of men and women who are passionately committed to the growth and extension of Unitarian Universalism. Not only inspirational, these essays also offer some practical advice to those who want to share the faith.

Net Results: New Ideas in Church Vitality and Leadership. Miller, Herb, ed. Published monthly in cooperation with departments of the Presbyterian Church, American Baptist Churches, Evangelical Lutheran Church in American, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the Church Ad Project (formerly the Episcopal Ad Project). Distributed by Cokesbury.
This monthly journal is full of practical articles on topics such as leadership, following up on visitors, what's in a church name, generational differences in church goers, public relations, success stories of other churches, and book reviews. Regular contributors include Lyle Schaller, Herb Miller, and William Easum. A great source of ideas.

Effective Church Finances; Fund-Raising and Budgeting for Church Leaders. and Giving and Stewardship in an Effective Church; A Guide for Every Member. Callahan, Kennon L. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
Written for committee members, key leaders, clergy and staff, these books explore developing the church budget, fund-raising for the budget, setting giving goals for the congregation, and growing the giving from year to year.

The Green Book; A Canvass Manual for Unitarian Universalist Congregations. Unitarian Universalist Association. Boston: UUA, 1985.
Packaged in a three-ring binder, here is everything you need to know to run a successful every member canvass.

The Church Guide to Internal Controls. Vargo, Richard J. Matthews, NC: Christian Ministry Resources, 1995.
A clearly written check list and workbook that you can use to evaluate how effective your financial systems are for safeguarding the financial assets of your church.

You Can Run a Capital Campaign; Raising Funds for Special Purposes—A Step-by-Step Guide for Church Leaders. Zehring, John William. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989.
This book was designed to meet the needs of a wide range of churches and written for church leaders with little or no experience in fund raising. It includes how to plan, recruit, publicize, collect pledges, keep records, and wrap up the campaign.

Leadership and Management—The Board of Trustees

Boards that Make a Difference; A New Design for Leadership in Nonprofit and Public Organizations. Carver, John. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1990.
Carver presents a radically new model of board governance that energizes board members to build a strong, vibrant organization that achieves its goals. Carver's approach enables boards to get down to the real business of governance: making policy, articulating the mission of the organization, and sustaining its vision. He address board job design, board-staff relationships, the chief executive role, and virtually all aspects of the board-management partnership.

Managing the Nonprofit Organization; Principles and Practices. Drucker, Peter F. New York: HarperCollins, 1990.
Drucker presents clearly and directly the tasks, responsibilities and practices that must be followed to manage hospitals, churches, universities, health and community service groups and foundations effectively. He gives examples and explanations on mission, leadership, resources, marketing, goals, people development, decision making and more.

Transforming Church Boards into Communities of Spiritual Leaders. Olsen, Charles M. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute, 1995.
Olsen provides a model for a new way of working on church boards that can be fulfilling instead of leading to burn-out.

Building a Better Board; A Guide to Effective Leadership. Book 1. Swanson, Andrew. Rockville, MD: Fund Raising Institute, a Division of the Taft Group, 1992.
A concise guide to the basics of being an effective member of a nonprofit board. Chapters include purpose, mission, responsibilities, meetings, board composition, leadership development, board organization, and the role of staff and board. Consider a copy for every board member.

Long Range Planning

Twelve Keys to an Effective Church. Callahan, Kennon L. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983.
A classic. The most useful and comprehensive long-range planning resource available, used extensively by churches world-wide. Companion volumes are the Leader's Guide , The Study Guide , and The Planning Workbook. Consider a leadership study seminar series on the twelve keys, and then use the Planning Workbook to guide your church leadership through a concise evaluation and long-range planning process.

Building a Better Board; The Role of the Nonprofit Board in Strategic Planning. Book 2. Swanson, Andrew. Rockville, Maryland: Fund Raising Institute, a Division of the Taft Group, 1992.
Building on Book 1, this second volume focuses on how to go through the process of determining a statement of purpose, mission statement, mission-related goals from options presented to it by a strategic planning committee, completing and reviewing the plan, accepting and monitoring its implementation, evaluating progress, and subjecting the plan to an annual review.

Membership

The Inviting Church: A Study of New Member Assimilation. Oswald, Roy and Speed B. Leas. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute, 1987.
The authors share their reflections on what happens to people as they discover, explore, and then join a local congregation. Chapters include church growth and factors outside and within the control of the congregation, church size and assimilation, attracting, recruiting, incorporating, joining and spiritual development.

Welcome! Tools and Techniques for New Member Ministry. Weeks, Andrew D. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute, 1992.
Weeks builds on the work of Oswald and Leas by offering practical techniques and systems for managing the process of intentionally welcoming newcomers. Beginning with an audit of the church's image, he discusses the ministry of greeting, responding, tracking and involving newcomers, structuring groups for growth and ends with model letters and forms.

Office Equipment

The Office Equipment Adviser. Derrick, John, ed. Santa Barbara, CA: What to Buy for Business, Inc., 1995.
The essential what-to-buy and how-to-buy resource for offices with one to 100 people. This volume includes clear descriptions with features guides, technology overviews and vendor profiles of computers, scanners, printers, copiers, faxes, phone systems, voice mail, postage meters and shredders. Additional in-depth guides are available for each topic. Invaluable.

Church Bytes Software Guide. Published by Deerhaven Press, 304C Crossfield Drive, Versailles, KY 40383. (606) 873-0550; fax (606) 879-0121; 72200 [dot] 401 [at] Compuserve [dot] com.
This book contains information on software for church administration and finance as well as pastoral tools, religious graphics and computer Bibles. It includes easy-to-compare features charts for administration and finance software. Deerhaven Press also publishes a monthly magazine on church computing called Church Bytes.

Pastoral Transitions

So You're on the Search Committee. Ketcham, Bunty. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute, 1991.
Useful tips guide lay leaders through the hassles and typical pitfalls of the search process in an easy to read question and answer format.

Finding a Pastor: The Search Committee Handbook. McConnell, Theodore A. Minneapolis, MN: Winston Press, 1986.
McConnell cuts across denominational lines to describe ten steps to finding a pastor. This is a clear, thorough, and common sense guide for the lay search committee.

A Change of Pastors. Mead, Loren B. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute.
The results of 18 years of studying congregations and how and why the change of pastors is a critical point in the life and development of the congregation.

Pastoral Transitions: From Endings to New Beginnings. Phillips, Wm. Bud. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute, 1988.
Bud Phillips draws on 25 years' experience as a pastor, trainer and consultant to offer a practical account of what it is like to be in transition and ways of building a solid relationship with a new pastor.

Personnel

The Alban Personnel Handbook for Congregations. Berry, Erwin. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute, 1999. This handbook provides practical and proven strategies for managing church staff and addresses the particular ethical and theological issues that faith communities need to consider to be effective stewards of those whom they employ. Reproducible forms included on CD-ROM.

The Church Guide to Employment Law (Church Law & Tax Report). Bloss, Julie L. Matthews, NC: Christian Ministry Resources, current edition.
A comprehensive overview of important employment laws, guidelines for equal employment opportunity, interviewing, performance appraisals, discipline and termination. Includes samples of forms.

The Compensation Handbook for Church Staff (Church Law & Tax Report). Cobble, James and Richard Hammar. Matthews, NC: Christian Ministry Resources, current edition.
Published annually, this book provides a broad picutre of compensation practices across the country, across denominations and includes many different staff positions. It includes compensation planning, taxes and benefits as well as tables of comparative data.

Risky Business! Church Hiring and Volunteer Selection: A Legal and Policy Guide. Buzzard, Lynn Robert, Esq. and Susan Edwards. Published by J.W Edwards, Inc. Ann Arbor, Michigan, jointly with The Church-State Resource Center, Campbell University and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. 1996.
This book was also written in response to the increasingly complex employer-employee relationship. Its approach is from a risk management point of view as we live in an increasingly litigious society, and it includes volunteers as well as paid staff. Useful forms and a bibliography included.

Salary Administration: Why and How to Develop a Church Staff Compensation Plan. Parchman, Joyce, ed. Fort Worth, Texas: National Association of Church Business Administration, 1996.
This is a collection of articles on salary administration—the development of a written plan to ensure fair and equitable guidelines for compensation.

To Sustain the Living Tradition. Unitarian Universalist Association, Committee on Ministerial and Church Staff Compensation. Boston: UUA, 1995 with updates.
An important report with findings and recommendations for compensation and benefits for ministers, directors of religious education, business administrators and music directors.

Search Manual for DRE's and Congregations. Unitarian Universalist Association, Religious Education Department. Boston: UUA.
This manual includes the search, interview, position description, employment agreement, salary guidelines, and evaluation. It is equally useful to the person seeking a position and the church conducting a search for a Director of Religious Education.

Guidelines for Church Musicians. Unitarian Universalist Musician's Network. UUMN, 1986. The UU Musician's Network has developed position descriptions with various levels of responsibilities, examples of contracts, and suggested levels of compensation for directors of church music programs.

Public Relations

The Church Publicity Book; Techniques for Communication. Brown, Aubrey N., Jr. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1986. This is a brief guide to strengthening communication within the congregation and getting the church's message to the community. In addition to the basics of Sunday bulletins and newsletters, this book includes letters and notes, the telephone, non-print media, bulletin boards, special events, local media, and direct mail.

Marketing for Congregations; Choosing to Serve People More Effectively. Shawchuck, Norman, et al. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992.
This book guides clergy and lay leaders to make better, more informed decisions and to meet the needs of people more effectively by doing research, testing services, creating and marketing ministries and evaluating results. It contains case studies on how marketing is done, sample marketing plans for congregations, sample ads and business terms translated into words that church and synagogue leaders understand.

Religious Public Relations Handbook for Local Congregations. Steele, James H., ed. Gladwyne, Pennsylvania: The Religious Public Relations Council, Inc., 1988.
This book consists of 19 chapters, each on a different subject and contributed by a different member of the Religious Public Relations Council. Topics include media relations, denominational publications, photography, advertising, TV and radio, community relations, desktop publishing, and additional resources.

Religious Education

Starting from Scratch: How to Begin Your Own RE Program. Fields, Ann and Jeanne Nieuwejaar and Cindy Spring. Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association, 1994.
A must for congregations beginning or expanding their RE programs, but also useful in reviewing or evaluating an existing program. Packed with ideas, model programs, children's worship services, organizational hints and advice.

Youth Advisor's Handbook: A Resource for YRUU Advisors. Tain, Shell. Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association, 1996.
This comprehensive guide includes the history of YRUU, the role of the youth advisor, youth issues, how to develop and encourage youth leadership, and more. Sample contracts, permissions slips and applications.

Safe and Secure: The Alban Guide to Protecting Your Congregation. Hanna, Jeffrey W. Bethesda, MD: The Alban Institute, 1999.
From the cover: "This indispensable, comprehensive, and practical guide helps identify and develop strategies for minimizing a congregation's liability and ensuring the safety and security of its members and visitors. From his unique perspective as a pastor and former detective, Hanna outlines issues, offers solutions to common problems, and helps readers assess their congregation's risks. Topics discussed include: handling money, building maintenance and security, personnel practices, and various types of criminal and civil liability."

Am I Covered For…? A Comprehensive Guide to Insuring Your Non-profit Organization. 2nd edition. Lai, Mary L., Terry S. Chapman, and Elmer L. Steinbock. San Jose, California: Consortium for Human Services, Inc., 1984, 1992.Am I Covered For ? is designed to assist you in setting up a prudent insurance plan for your non-profit organization. It covers general liability, crime, theft, automobile , malpractice, directors' and officers' liability and more. It includes a glossary, a check list and bibliography.

Community: Risk Management and Insurance. The Nonprofit Risk Management Center. Washington, DC: The Nonprofit Risk Management Center.
An inexpensive journal published three times a year with articles that will help you understand what risk management is all about.

Materials and Kits for Selecting and Screening Church Employees and Volunteers are available from Christian Ministry Resources and from the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. See list of resources for addresses.

Social Action

The Busy Person's Guide to Social Action. Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. Boston, UUSC, 1986.
A useful guide to getting started: developing an action plan, holding meetings, getting the story out, lobbying, raising money. This book makes it all seem possible and is full of practical tips.

Volunteers

The Care & Feeding of Volunteers (Creative Leadership Series, Lyle Schaller, ed.). Johnson, Douglas W. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1978.
Volunteers are vital to the life of the church. Douglas Johnson explores the unique motivations and needs of volunteers as well as how to identify, recruit, and train; how to enable and motivate; and how to assign appropriate tasks.

The Complete Guide to Religious Education Volunteers. Ratcliff, Donald and Blake J. Neff. Birmingham, Alabama: Religious Education Press, 1993.
This volume give religious educators virtually everything they need to know about operating a highly successful volunteer program and working effectively with volunteers. In very practical terms, this all-inclusive book shows how to plan, administer, and evaluate volunteer programs. It also concretely spells out effective ways to recruit, train, and sustain volunteers for a more successful religious education ministry.

Sharing the Ministry: A Practical Guide for Transforming Volunteers into Ministers. Trumbauer, Jean Morris. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1995.
This resource manual in loose leaf style addresses the specific challenges if inviting person into the shared ministry of the church and sustaining their ministry involvements. It is designed as a resource to assist leaders in developing a systems approach to shared ministry. It challenges commonly held assumptions about volunteerism and leads you step by step though motivation, recruiting, training and managing to a new paradigm of discovering and using one's gifts as a shared ministry.

How to Mobilize Church Volunteers. Wilson, Marlene. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1983.
Wilson explains how to turn "pew sitters" into "pillars" of the church. Chapters deal with the theology, the reality, the tools, the plan, the questions, and outreach of volunteerism in the church. Checklists and examples of questionnaires are included.